This invention relates to a television game, education and training system and more particularly to a system of this type wherein a viewer, by manipulating the controls of a control unit or game control box associated with a television receiver, TV monitor, or the like, can simulate various games and contests such as table tennis, hockey, bowling, target shooting, etc., such TV game activity being aided by the simultaneous display of prerecorded video data.
Television game and training systems are fairly recent innovations allowing television viewers to conduct various games and contests on their own television receivers, including TV monitors, independently of the transmitting station and other receivers. These systems include a game control unit connected to the antenna or video terminals of the television receiver or monitor. This control unit includes switches and electronic circuitry for the generation, manipulation and control of video signals. Using the existing electronics circuits within the television receiver or monitor, these video signals are displayed on the screen as location controllable symbols. By operating the controls of the control unit, one or more players can engage in various games, contests, training simulations and other activities. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,659,284; 3,659,285; 3,728,480; 3,778,058 and 3,829,095, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference.
The one drawback to these systems is that the viewers can interact, compete, etc., only with another viewer for most games thus limiting the use which can be made of the systems.